Fact Sheet 7

Fact Sheet:7

Joint and parallel reviews

Introduction

1. There will be occasions when it is appropriate to look at a number of Agencies and/or NDPBs at the same time. These might be because:

	the Agencies and/or NDPBs are already working closely together in the delivery of particular services and functions; or
	the Agencies and/or NDPBs are not currently working together but the Government’s commitment to delivering responsive and high quality public services creates suitable opportunities for them to do so in the future.

2. Reviewing each of the Agencies/NDPBs concerned, separately in such circumstances, may mean that the full potential of the review to help improve the way in which services and functions are delivered is not realised because it will not take full account of the actual or potential synergies which exist.

3. The focus of such reviews could be:

	groups of Agencies and/or NDPBs across or within Departmental boundaries involved in similar functions (e.g. services to small firms; or public sector research establishments); and
	groups of Agencies and/or NDPBs across or within Departmental boundaries whose work may not be similar but which is relevant to a particular theme, or the achievement of a particular Government objective (e.g. the integrated provision of different services to particular groups such as young people and the elderly).

Carrying out such reviews

4. These reviews can be carried out using:

	a joint review involving the same review team looking at all the organisations concerned;
	parallel reviews where each of the organisations concerned are reviewed by separate review teams but over the same timescale, with the planning and execution of each review having built into it the need for liaison so that the conclusions of each can be informed by the findings of the other reviews; or
	a combination of both, where parts of the review would be carried out jointly, for example the first stage looking at organisational arrangements, and other parts being taken forward in parallel with, for example, the second stage forward look at improving delivery in the future.

5. It will be for Departments to identify when joint or parallel reviews are appropriate, and on how they should be carried out. This may depend on the nature of the services/ functions being reviewed; the number of organisations which would be involved; and whether or not the Agencies/NDPBs in question all come under the same parent/sponsor Department. The Cabinet Office and the Treasury can also provide advice to Departments on when such reviews are likely to be appropriate; their scope; and the most suitable approach to be adopted; and at times they may suggest that such a review is carried out if they consider that the benefits from doing so justify it. Publishing a forward programme of reviews will also help others (e.g. users) to identify when joint or parallel reviews could be beneficial.

6. Although the full range of organisational options should be considered in a non-hierarchical manner, joint or parallel reviews provide a particular opportunity to assess the case for merging one or more Agencies/NDPBs. They also provide an important opportunity to consider how partnership working between the organisations in question (and with other bodies in the public, private and voluntary sectors) can be introduced or enhanced as part of the second stage of the review.

7. Such reviews will also provide an opportunity during the second stage to consider how best to develop performance measures and targets which will reflect and encourage joint working between the organisations involved in the future. The Cabinet Office is running the Measurement and Performance Project (MAPP) which is looking at the role of performance measurement in developing joint working. This work is currently ongoing but Departments can obtain information about MAPP from the Cabinet Office via the Internet at http://www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/eeg/1999/mapp.htm